09/03/2017 House of Commons

on this happy occasion at any rate at least in Perth and North

Perthshire, happy birthday to the honourable gentleman of business

yes, Valerie Vaz? Could the leader of the House give

us the forthcoming business. Mr Speaker, Sir, the business for

next week will be as follows, Monday 13th March, consideration of Lord's

amenments to the European Union notification of withdrawal Bill.

Followed by continuation of the budget debate. Tuesday 14th March,

if necessary, consideration of Lord's amendments. Followed by

concollusion of the budget debate. Wednesday, 15th March, if necessary,

consideration of Lord's amendments, followed by consideration of Lord's

amendments to the Health Service medical supplies costs bill,

followed by remaining stages of the national citizens service Bill

Lords. Followed by a motion relating to the appointment of lay members to

the committee of stonards, followed by if necessary consideration of

Lord's amendments. Thursday 16th March, statement on the publication

of the tenth report of the public administration into Constitutional

Affairs Committee entitled lessons still to be learnt from the Chilcot

inquiry, followed by a statement on the publication of the sixth report

of the Health Committee on suicide prevention, followed by a debate on

a motion relating to energy prices. The Select Committee statements and

the subject for debate were determined by the backbench business

committee. Friday 17th March, the House will not be sitting. The

provisional business for the week commencing 20th March will include

Monday 20th MASH, second reading of the prisons and courts Bill. I

should also like to inform the House that the business in Westminster

Hall for the 20th and 23rd MASH will be as follows: Monday 20th March,

debate on an e-petition relating to the cost of car insurance for young

people. Thursday, 23rd March, debate on the first and second reports of

the International Development Committee, entitled Syrian refugee

crisis and DFID's programme in Nigeria. Finally, Mr Speaker, I

should also like to inform the House that, because of diary commitments

on the Monday, the Prime Minister expects to update the House on this

week's European Council on Tuesday next week.

THE SPEAKER: Valerie Vaz? Thank you Mr Speaker. Can I thank the leader

of the House for the forthcoming business and add my congratulations

to the honourable member for Perth and North Perthshire. Perhaps it's a

case of him singing to us rather than us singing to him! Mr Speaker,

are we any further on a date for the Queen's speech? I'm sure the person

delivering it would like to know when it is. ...

PROBLEM WITH SOUND. It was far better than all the

suffragettes knowing the House's pipes and hidy holes. She has a lot

in common with the member for Rhondda. So could I press the leader

for a date for the debate on restoration and renewal? Members do

need to know and to have their say. It may be henful at the time of the

debate -- helpful at the time of the debate for display so the members

could see what is at stake so they could have an informed debate rather

than one based on just speculation. I know that a date has been

mentioned, but maybe that was just a gentleman's agreement and ladies

aren't allowed to know. I note the EU Bill will be coming back to the

Commons on Monday and once this Bill goes through, it will truly be the

end of the Thatcher legacy because the former Prime Minister signed up

to in 1981 EU enlargement, accession with Greece 1983, declaration on

more European integration, 1986 EU accession of Spain and Portugal,

1987, single act to create the single internal market and she was

able to say no, she could renegotiate the EU budget in 1984,

say no to the 1985 Schengen agreement, say no to the 199 social

charter, wrongly in my view. We have Margaret Thatcher, a Remainor and a

Reformer, which you can't say the same for this Government. And to the

budget, Mr Speaker, it's not so much spread sheet Phil, but ground hog

day. He's chased back down his hole by the self-employed and the

Brexiteer. So no mention of the most challenging events that will happen

to this country in the next two years. He didn't use the word Brexit

once, not verbally, nor was it in his speech, nor in the official

report. What he did say, he said we'll not

saddle our children with ever increasing debt. So could the leader

of the House clarify if that means that tuition fees will be abolishd?

He talks about Germany's productivity being better than ours.

They've abolished their tuition fees. Give than the honourable

member for Surrey said he regretted Building Schools for the Future,

could the leader of the House make representations to the Chancellor

that all the schools allocated funds under that scheme could be given

them without having to make bids taking the money away from frontline

services? Could the Leader of the House also

confirm whether the money for PhDs and research is a grant or a loan?

If you do not want to hear, you should just leave the chamber. You

think it's rubbish, we don't think it's rubbish. Could I ask the Leader

of the House if he was aware of these discussions around the

gentleman's agreement in Surrey? Will he launch an enquiry or look at

making a statement to the House? An MP was involved who has worked

really hard behind the scenes and there is a reference to a member

that we both know very well. Could we have a statement setting out

exactly what is offered under this deal? Are the steps that you have

deep breath and to increase council tax, then you have defined the union

is echoed to the in his car, who pops in to number 11, and lo and

behold, we have a deal. A gentleman 's agreement, not transparent, and

just for Tory councils. The DN sure there is a breakdown of all

arrangements that will come from every council, saving the Freedom of

information request being necessary. That burden would now be shifted to

local taxpayers. Oxford Street in my constituency does not have any

taxpayers. This will have a direct effect on our taxpayers. The Prime

Minister has made it very clear this Government is promoting selective

schools. Can he confirm that in the White Paper, those children who

cannot afford duty is that will enable them to get into selective

schools will also be given some help? Schools are good because of

the hard work of the peoples and the teachers. The Government cannot take

credit for that. Mr Speaker, the Chancellor talked about the last

Labour Government but we are thinking of the next Labour

Government and it is the next Labour Government who will have the last

laugh. Finally, Mr Speaker, it was a male dominated International Women's

Day with the Chancellor. Maybe next year it wait the spreadsheet bill,

but spreadsheet adjusting. I want to bring women back to the centre.

Whether it was Blondie who said, you educate the mothers, you educate

society, -- whether it was Mahatma Gandhi who said, and who can forget

what Ginger Rogers did, everything that Fred Astaire did, but in heels

and backwards. And the new hash tag, nevertheless, she persisted. That is

what we all have to do to get equality. So, a belated happy

International Women's Day to everyone. I am also advised that

today is a significant birthday but the honourable member for Lewisham

and Deptford who I am sure is converted -- celebrating somewhere

and we congratulate her. Mr Speaker, can I first deal with the honourable

lady's questions about two items of business. I can't yet give a date

for the Queen's speech, as the House will know this does depend to some

extent about the exchange of amendments between the two houses

and we are not in a position to make an announcement yet. While I can't

be specific about a debate on restoration and renewal, the

Government's position remains that our intention is to hold this before

Easter recess as I said in answer to the business question AB weeks ago.

I actually disagree with the honourable lady that we should get

rid of tuition fees. I don't think it is unreasonable to expect

students in higher education to make a contribution when their income in

later working lives reaches above a certain threshold towards the cost

of that university education. I would have hoped that rather than

revisiting that argument about tuition fees, that the honourable

lady might have welcomed the Chancellor's announcement yesterday

about the Government's drive to improve the opportunity provided by

and the standards of technical education in this country. That it

seems to me is key to giving the maximum possible chance in life to

those children who are not going to be able to go to university or who

may choose not to go to university. It is an absolutely essential part

of tackling some of this country's long-term structural economic

problems to do with the lack of competitiveness in a very fast

changing international economy. I don't know how many times we are

going to repeat from the dispatch box that there is no special

sweetheart deal. I was frankly astonished, astonished that the

honourable lady was claiming that there is something available to

Conservative councils which is not available to Labour councils. I was

sitting here yesterday when I heard the Prime Minister 's say in terms

of the local authorities that were going to be first in the pilots for

100% return of business rates in the 2017 to 2018 business year were

Labour authorities. Those Labour authorities have welcomed that

opportunity to be in the first set of pilots. What we are saying to

Surrey and to every other council which is not included in that first

round is that if they meet the criteria, they can apply for

participation in the second round in 2019 to 2020. That has always been

the position and remains the position. On grammar schools, the

Government said in the Green paper that was published shortly before

Christmas that we would be considering and consulting upon ways

in which the admissions system to selective schools might be altered

to try to give the maximum opportunity possible to children

from poorer families and from families who did not have a history

of sending people onto further and higher education. For them to have

the chance of getting a place that they selective schools. The problem

with the party opposite is that they are still stuck in the past as

regards their views on education. It does seem extraordinary and an

increasing anomaly at a time of great diversity in the provision of

secondary schools of various types, specialist schools and the type the

Prime Minister described yesterday, that there should be an arbitrary

legal ban on the creation of new selective schools as part of that

broader mix. That is the challenge that the Government is seeking to

address. I am more than happy to join the honourable lady in

welcoming International Women's Day in the way that she described and

paying tribute to all of those in this country who have played a part

in advancing opportunities for women. Women and men who supported

them from all political traditions in this country and I think that we

might pause also and reflect on the fact that for women in some

countries around the world, to stand up publicly and press for the type

of civil rights and opportunities that there are four women can put

those women at great personal risk themselves and in celebrating what

has been achieved here and in other countries, we should remember the

real heroines are those who fight for equal rights in those countries

where there is real danger. Hear hear. Last week I hosted a

celebration of 20 years of Doctor soda's riot -- chiropractors. I

understand that my right honourable friend hosted a chiropractors

Private members Bill about 25 years ago, so could we have a debate on

the use of chiropractors through the National Health Service as an

alternative to giving people medicine? And whilst I am on my

feet, may I also gently remind my right honourable friend at the House

rose early again on Monday and we on the backbench business committee has

a queue of debates that could fill these were slots where they made

available by the Government. In response to the last point, I simply

say that we do try to make sure that the backbench business committee has

its oil allocation of slots available to it and it's not

entirely in the gift of ministers as to how many ministers wish to

participate in any particular debate or for how long they wish to speak.

Sometimes colleagues on all sides of the House may speak for far longer

than their whips may wish them to do. At other times, the debate does

finish early. That's not entirely of the Government's gift. His point

about chiropractors was well made and I believe I look back on the

growth of the chiropractic profession over the last 25 years

and there has been a huge benefit to patients in all parts of this

country from the growing availability of chiropractic

treatment as a complement to traditional medicine. I hope my

honourable friend might be lucky in perhaps securing an adjournment

debate to celebrate that achievement further. Can I thank you for the

birthday wishes and I will always be a year older than you, sir, so as

well as being my birthday it is also budget Boxing Day. If anything,

budget Boxing Day is actually more interesting and more revealing than

budget day itself, because budget Boxing Day is when we get all these

useful clarifications at the start of all the climb-down downs and

justifications for the broken manifesto promises. It usually

involves the Chancellor big step is carrying around all the broadcasters

trying to do all the things at once, so can I suggest we resolve this by

having a statement on budget Boxing Day with the Chancellor giving all

the useful clarifications, starting the climb downs and justifying the

broken promises? We are grateful in Scotland for the ?350 million

secured as a result of the budget, but we do note that this is exactly

the same amount of money that Scotland will get in a year that the

NHS is supposed to get in one week after we leave the EU. Yet it is

going to face ?3 billion worth of cuts in the next few years. I know

there are three days set aside for Lord's amendments if necessary as

the Government tries to ping the pole that is coming from there he

rose in ermine. What happens if we still have the paddles out on

Wednesday? Will the Government enforce the Parliament act? How will

this affect the article 50 process and will he clarify today what is

going on today? Can we encourage the people's aristocrats to carry on

with this great cause? Does anyone in the House have any explanation

for the behaviour of the Prime Minister yesterday? It looks like

she was swallowing a face when she sat on the front bench? It was like

my gear with doing an impersonation of Ted Heath. Can we go back to how

and tell her there was no place for behaviour like that? -- can we go

back to her. Mr Speaker, can I verse double wholeheartedly wish the

honourable gentleman many happy returns of the day and it was

obviously -- it was obvious theme him bad that the first thing he did

this morning was to unwrap his birthday socks and tie and I am sure

they were just what he has always wanted. He asked me about the

article 50 Bill. It is perfectly routine for the Government to

announce provisional business in case there is a need to debate Lords

amendments. The House of Lords has a perfectly proper role as a revising

chamber but it also knows that it is an unelected house and I hope that

the House of Lords will want to give very careful consideration to

whatever views this House takes on its amendments next week and to

accept that ultimately the view, not just of the elected house, but of

the British people expressed in a referendum should prevail. He also

asked me about the impact of yesterday's budget statement on

Scotland. I would have thought particularly on his birthday he

might have had a cheery word for the fact that because of my right

honourable friend's the Chancellor's statement that the Scottish budget

would increase by ?260 million by 2020 and its capital budget by

almost ?90 million by 2021 and that this builds on the 800 million

pounds increase to the Scottish capital budget delivered via the

Autumn Statement last year. Scotland, like all parts of the

United Kingdom, is benefiting because of the action that the

United Kingdom Government is taking to ensure a stable economy, economic

growth and sustainable public finances. I would very gently point

out that so far we have got through the three front benches and only one

backbencher so progress is a little slow. If we could try to speed up a

little bit, that would be very much appreciated. Thank you, Mr Speaker.

As was third, yesterday was International Women's Day and yet my

constituents were shocked to learn by the NSPCC this week that no fewer

than 55 cases of female genital mutilation took place in Peter

Barraclough in the final three months of 2016. May we have a debate

on prosecutions of the perpetrators of this evil trade so that we can

protect our young girls and women? It is not culturally acceptable and

it is time we tackled this and drove this abominable practice from our

country for ever. It's a crime and it's child abuse as

well. There have been a number of changes to law including the serious

crime act 2015 that have extended both powers and penalties to deal

with FGM. As my right honourable friend knows, the majority of cases

recorded by the NHS are crimes committed overseas or non-UK

citizens where probably the right thing is to give help and support to

those women who've been abused. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Can we have a

debate on the Government's plans, especially in the light of Brexit to

include plans for the rail freight sector, plans for ordering new

rolling stock, but also crucially, plans for refurbishing rolling stock

which is crucial to companies like WABtec in my constituency who

specialise in refurbishment of rolling stock? The Right Honourable

lady makes a good point and I think it's very important that not just in

the context of Brexit but in terms of getting the right mix of

transport services in this country that we look to continue to

modernise our rail system and the Autumn Statement's focus upon

additional infrastructure spending will indeed deliver rail

improvements in all parts of the country. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Can

we have an urgent debate on the conduct of Violia, an organisation

full of sharp suits and sharp practices? This company is promoting

an incinerator in my constituency on land that just 18 months ago, a

flood plain that just 18 months ago, it was arguing in front of the

planning inspector was unsuitable for such a site. This is disgraceful

and dare I say, dishonest behaviour on behalf of this company.

My right honourable friend makes his point powerfully and I'm sure on

behalf of his constituents, obviously this is a matter for the

local planning authorities and for the Environment Agency as the

custodian of environmental regulations. He may wish to seek an

adjourned de-- an urgent debate on this. Thinking about Monday's

business, two weeks ago, at business questions, the leader of the House

broke with his established procedure of a lifetime in politics by giving

me what he described as a straight answer when I asked if it was

possible roughly speaking to say what the process of negotiation with

Europe would yield. Amazingly enough, it turns out I was actually

quoting the leader of the Leave campaign Dominic Cummings when he

said last year, no-one in their right mind would begin a legally

defined two-year maximum period to conduct negotiations before they

actually knew, roughly speaking, what the process was going to yield.

Is the Prime Minister of sound mind? My right honourable friend said that

from a sedentary position. I don't recall the Prime Minister leading

the Leave campaign for being responsible for their positions. The

view was spelled out in the white paper where we described our

objectives to secure the best possible access to and freedom to

cooperate within the single market for British business, a fair deal

for our citizens in Europe and European citizens here and so on.

But this is a negotiation that will involve 27 other countries as well.

They're clear that it's only when Article 50 is triggered that that

process of negotiation can start. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Staffordshire

Fire and Rescue have been involved in two high profile waste sites

including an illegal one, this has been... Rennes dues for locals and

the Fire Service have faced significant costs managing it over

the last six months. Dumping of illegal waste is not just a problem

in Staffordshire, so can we have a debate in Government time about this

increasing national issue? My right honourable friend raises a

very important point on behalf of her constituents. While I can't

offer an immediate debate in Government time, this is something

she might have an opportunity through the backbench business

process or through an adjournment debate.

When can we debate the call made in the Daily Mirror yesterday by the

honourable member for Barnsley Central that we should learn the

lessons of the Afghan war to avoid repeating them in future. In 2006,

after only six of our soldiers had died in Afghanistan, a decision was

taken to go into Helmand Province on the basis that not a shot would be

fired. The result of that was that... You know that's not true...

450 more soldiers lost their lives. We cannot turn lives into the truth

by carving them war memorials or by putting them in the mouths of

dignitaries. When can we face up to the truth on the Helmand disaster by

having an inquiry? Well, I think it's right, Botha we

have a public memorial to those military and civilian who that

served so valiantly and that we learn the lessons of both conflicts.

And while the forthcoming debate on the Select Committee report into the

Chilcot inquiry is clearly related privately to Iraq, I would have

thought that some of the lessons that might possibly be learnt from

Botha conflict and from the Afghanistan conflict could be

debated during that time. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Could we have

a debate on the efficiency with which we prosecute white-collar

crime? We are very good at chasing benefits cheats, rightly so, but I

don't believe that we are doing enough to investigate what my right

honourable friend called sharp suited Spivs who get away with

misappropriating is sometimes millions of pounds of public money.

I can assure my right honourable friend that HMRC which is

independent prosecuting authority, does take this very seriously and

has secured a very big increase in the amount of money recovered for

the Treasury through compliance activities. But I'm sure there is

always more to be done. Can we have a debate on helping

people into work? Blaenau Gwent still has state your name bornly

high unemployment. Yet the DWP wants to shut the Tradegeur Jobcentre.

This puts a burden on jobseekers to pay for expensive public transport

or walk for miles over the mountain whatever the mountain. That must be

taken on board. The situation we are in is that

after 20 years, the contract that covers many DWP offices is nearing

an end and it expires on 31st March 2018, and so the DWP's redesigning

its estate so it delivers better value for taxpayers but also

delivering support to people. I'd say to the honourable gentleman it's

not about reducing services, but it's trying to stop spending

taxpayers' money on renting empty space so we can give more through

counselling and support to those who need help and support to get them

back into employment. Mr Speaker, in his statement, the leader of the

House said there would be a debate on DFID's programme in Nigeria.

He'll know there is an impending famine in Nigeria and I wondered

whether we could have a wider debate on famines in Yemen, Somalia and the

World Food Programme's announced a famine in south Sudan and how DFID's

programme can do more to prevent confliblingt, not just resolve it,

conflict being a driver of the famines, of course -- conflict.

Sounds like an ideal subject for one of the longest debates in

Westminster Hall. I'm sure my right honourable friend will be the first

to agree that DFID is devoting a lot of resource to helping bring relief

to south Sudan. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Yesterday,

the Foreign Office updated its current form of travel advice for

Israel with the following information, the Israeli Parliament

passed a law on the 6th March 2017 which gives authority to deny entry

to foreign nationals who're publicly called for a boycott of Israel and

and or settlements or who belong to an organisation which is called for

a boycott. Given the impact this new law will have on British passport

holders, including members of both Houses and given that no other

guidance or information has been issued by our Government beyond

this, maybe have a statement from the Foreign Office on how the

application of this law will affect UK passport holders and how it will

impact UK foreign policy? Hear, hear...

I mean, at the risk of stating the obvious, clearly Israel like every

other country is ultimately responsible for determining its own

rules on immigration and visits. But we are seeking urgent clarification

from the Israeli authorities as to what the application of this new

policy might be. In the meantime, we have updated travel advice in order

to give people as much information as we have at present. If there's

any British citizen who feels uncertain about a possible visit to

Israel, we suggest that they contact the embassy. Clear advice as soon as

we have that. Thank you Mr Speaker. The community hospital in my

constituency has been closed since last summer despite the fact the

Royal coverage Hospital's been on black alert more often than not

during that time -- Royal Cornwall Hospital. Yesterday I received a

letter from the consultant who said it's inexplicable and unjustifiable

that we continue to have closed community hospital beds while

patients queue in corridors and ED. Could a statement from the Health

Secretary be made on the important role community hospitals play,

particularly in rural communities like Cornwall?

I think my right honourable friend is right to stress the importance of

community hospitals, particularly as a step when people no longer need

intensive care in an acute facility. But the exact configuration of local

Health Services in Cornwall or anywhere else I think is a decision

that needs to be taken by the local health bosses there and not imposed

centrally from London. Mr Speaker, yesterday, I had the

privilege of meeting the school Council of Ings Primary in my

constituency and young Charlie White, ten years of age, raised the

issue of WASPI women, he seen them protesting and asked why the

Chancellor had completely ignored them in his budget. He asked me to

raise it at the soonest opportunity, so on behalf of Charlie White, can

we please have a debate in Government time on WASPI women?

Genuinely, can I say, I'm delighted that in the honourable gentleman's

constituents, as amongst mine, there are school council members taking an

active interest in politics. Whatever view we hold, that's

something we should very much welcome. To answer to Charlie

through the hog would be that the Government has put in place

transitional arrangements costing ?1 billion to taxpayers to cushion the

impact of the change in the state pension age for women and that to

reverse the pensions Act 2011 would cost more than ?30 billion. That is

not something that can be justified. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker,

pupils in my constituency, including Winsford Community High School, who

are visiting this place today are deeply concerned about the impending

cuts in school funding. I wonder whether we can timetable in

Government time a debate that will deal with changes to the formula

after the consultation's closed on 22nd March.

What I would stress to my right honourable friend is that we have a

consultation on the proposed new funding formula that has not yet

closed. Clearly, when the results of that consultation are in, my right

honourable friend, the Secretary of State, will want to consider that

before deciding on the way forward. Mr Speaker, last week there was

speculation about your showering habits. Today, I would like to query

your shopping habits. Now, I don't know whether Mr Speaker, you have

been to the supermarket recently, but if you have, you will have

noticed that prices of food are rising sharply. You will have

noticed that buy one get one free and own brand products are

disappearing from the shelves, so I wonder whether the leader of the

House would make time available for a debate on the price rises. Many

people have been hard pit by the Government dumping their pledge not

to increase national insurance -- hard hit.

First of all, in response to his last point, he needs to look at what

the Chancellor actually announced and he will see that the people who

are on low incomes are not going to be affected at all. 60% of people

who are self-employed are going to be better off when you take account

of the abolition of class to as well as the changes to class or announced

yesterday. The prices in supermarkets clearly are going to

vary depending on market prices and that depends in part on things like

currency movements. With certain vegetables, it's depended on the

weather this winter. From the Government's point of view, the most

important thing is that we maintain an economy with low inflation, high

employment and vigorous economic growth. That's the best way of

ensuring the good living standards to the gentleman's constituents. At

present, I'm doing what I can to help constituents obtain a

life-saving drug for their young son. Members across the House will

have had similar cases over the years. These are very difficult

decisions for health trusts and nice but it would be helpful to have a

debate about how they deal with these issues. Could we find

Government time for such a debate? I can't promise Government time. But

there may be other opportunities. These are always very difficult

decisions indeed. I think the right principle had to be that access to a

drug is determined by clinical effectiveness which must be measured

by doctors, not politicians. It's quite clear that self-employed

people were given a false promise at the last election. It said no less

than four times in the Conservative manifesto that they would not

increase national insurance, they can we have it statement from the

Government to go through line by line the pledges they made in that

manifesto so we have a fighting chance of knowing what we are

holding the Government to account for? Mr Speaker, when the national

insurance contributions rate feelings Bill was debated in

November 2015, it was said then, this bill enacts the Conservative's

manifesto pledge not to increase national insurance charges in this

Parliament. It is part of their wider pledged to cap tax, and

national insurance contributions. That bill delivered. Those were not

my words. They were the words of the honourable lady for yourself, the

Shadow Chancellor at the time. Last month, the Court of Appeal ruled in

favour that the Government's... Has he had any indication from the

Secretary of State for equality about an impending announcement and

if not can we have a debate about equality in double partnerships in

Government time? My honourable friend has championed this

particular cause very persistently for a period of time. I am not aware

of an imminent announcement but I shall remind the Secretary of State

of my honourable friend's persistence on the subject. Given

the timely reminder of the plight of the cities on the BBC News on

Tuesday passed when Amal Clooney's speech at UN headquarters reminded

us that 1200 women and girls are held hostage by Mosul -- by IS in

Mosul, would be Leader of the House agreed to a debate to expand the

Syrian honourable persons scheme, meaning the most vulnerable people

who have been unable to -- who have been able to flee but unable to

return home are protected? He is right to champion this appalling

abuses of human rights that are taking place in Iraq and in Syria.

The people who have been the victims of abuse and people from religious

minorities are amongst those categories that we have identified

as the highest priorities for those to come to the United Kingdom under

the scheme to admit 20,000 that the previous Prime Minister and

announced and that will apply to the 3000 children that we are taking in

from the region in addition to that 20,000. Following on from the point

raised by my honourable friend from Cannock, fly-tipping has seen a huge

increase in North Warwickshire in recent months and a recent episode

saw an entire road blocks and the cost from just one council is

estimated at ?650,000, so can we have a debate on this issue and see

what more can be done to protect the countryside from this terrible

scourge which seems to be on an increase across the country as a

whole? I think many of us will have experience of what he rightly turned

out they scourge in our own constituencies and he is right to

speak out today. What I can say to him is that where like tipping

involves hazardous wastes or organised crime, the Environment

Agency has a role to play and he might want to make representation to

them. In terms of small fly-tipping, the Government gave councils the

right to issue fixed penalty notices for small scale fly-tipping and his

local council might want to investigate that. In yesterday's

budget, the Chancellor made a welcome move in pledging to collect

VAT on telecoms abroad. Given that is going to bring extra money into

the Exchequer, is it now time to clear up another VAT anomaly,

without being applied to Scottish Fire and rescue? Could he make a

statement to agree to make amendments to the Finance Bill? I

can't make the commitment the honourable gentleman wants me to do

but I will make sure the Chancellor is aware of the point he just made.

In August 20 300,000 households in Lancashire were affected by the loss

of drinking water and 18 months on, the drinking water Inspectorate

still refuse to publish a report, still refused to say when the report

will be published. Can the Leader of the House set some time aside for

debating the responsibility of organisations such as that for the

constituents I represent? I have to say I am surprised that report has

not yet been published and I will draw these comments to the attention

of the Secretary of State environment. Yesterday's national

insurance rise was not just a breach of the Conservative Party manifesto,

it was an attack on small business people, entrepreneurs and taxi

drivers who take risks to start a business and go alone. Can I ask the

Leader of the House, given his answer to my honourable friend from

Eltham, by which Parliamentary means will this be enacted? Legislation

will be brought forward at the appropriate time later this year. I

would simply say to the honourable gentleman that he and others right

across the House have been calling for more money to be spent on the

National Health Service, more money to be spent on social care, rightly

so. That money has to be raised in revenue. And what we have seen is

that the interjection of the second state pension, of the new state

pension system, has removed the greater part of the disadvantage

that previously applied to people who were self-employed rather than

employed and which had justified the very significant difference between

the national insurance contributions paid by self-employed people as

against employees. The narrowing, the very important narrowing of that

difference in terms of pension and other benefits, coupled with the

Government's further pledged to look at parental benefits I think

justifies the measure announced yesterday. Nice sentencing

statistics have been published today, revealing that 300 repeat

offenders have been let off prison in the last three months despite

Parliament introducing mandatory sentencing following a campaign

which became known as Enfield's law. Can we have a statement to reaffirm

that it was Parliament's clear wheel and it still is that persistent

knife offenders should and have to be locked up because they cause

carnage on our streets? I'm sure we would want to see people convicted

of knife crime is sentenced severely. Because they do not just

cause actual harm to fellow citizens, but they breed a culture

of fear that poisons whole neighbourhoods. But ultimately, it

has to be for the judge in an individual case hearing all the

evidence to decide what sentence is appropriate. The northern powerhouse

is a cornerstone supposedly of the Government's policy but it wasn't

mentioned yesterday. When will they facilitate a debate on the northern

powerhouse and then we can talk about the most significant project

that needs to be completed, the M 65 Northwest extension? I'm glad that

the honourable gentleman has raised the subject of the northern

powerhouse because the Government set out a northern powerhouse

strategy to boost productivity throughout the North of England. The

next steps include moves on the northern powerhouse schools

strategy, with over half ?1 billion of local growth fund allocation,

upgrading transport infrastructure and further science and innovation

audits. I would have thought the gentleman would have welcomed those

steps? Yesterday was International Women's Day. One of the great

disappointment on both sides of the houses the fact we have never had a

woman lead the Labour Party, but the Shadow Leader of the House made a

clear bid for today. And I will do anything I can to help her in that

regard. But could she please resist, sir, from fake news. The suggestion

that Mrs Thatcher would have been a remainder is absolutely outrageous.

They could we have a debate next week on fake news? Points of order

come later. The honourable gentleman can ventilate his points -- thought

that that time. My honourable friend was uncharacteristically slightly

unfair because I think we want to pay tribute to what both the right

honourable lady for Derby South did and what the Right Honourable Lady,

the Member for Peckham did as acting leaders of the Labour Party. I think

those of us on this site might hope that one day the Labour Party could

summon up the courage to allow a woman to take over full time. I've

been contacted by a number of distressed and vulnerable

constituents in recent weeks have been turned down for E as a, with

some of these cases even by Tory standards stomach churning. This is

an issue raised frequently in this House but the increase is absolutely

alarming. With the leader allowed debating Government time to revisit

this issue? -- would the leader? Where there are particular cases, I

am sure she would take that up with DWP ministers. But I believe the

principle has to be right, that if somebody has a condition which means

that they are able to work, as so many disabled people and people

living with long-term medical conditions wish to do and are able

to do, 3.5 million today, a record number, then they should be given

help and support to do so and not written off and consigned to a

lifetime benefits. I welcome this Government's positive move to ban

the use of plastic micro beads in cosmetics and care products by

October. This will make a real difference to cleaning up our marine

environment but there is still so much more to do on plastic

pollution. Would my right honourable friend find the time for a debate on

this, because if we are to lead the environment in a better state than

we find it, this is critical. My honourable friend is indefatigable

in raising this subject. I can't promise an immediate Government

debate but she will know that the Prime Minister and the entire

Government are committed to come -- to delivering on our promise. In a

written ministerial statement, the Government announced that they are

scaling back the financial support that they had put forward for people

he had received contaminated blood products. On the same day, the chief

Executive of the administration, administrative trust that

administers the current financial money that goes to these people

refused to meet the APPG to discuss what was happening. I'm sure the

leader agrees with me that this group of people feel that

transparency and openness is very much the best policy, so can we

please have a statement from a minister about what the Government's

intentions are so that MPs can raise their constituents concerns over

what the Government is doing? Mr Speaker, it's a perfectly serious

point, I will ask relevant health minister to write to her. Exercise

can be a lonely pursuits can we have the debate on the value of running

clubs such as those in my constituency which provide a fun

environment for this healthy activity? I am delighted to be able

to pay tribute to my honourable friend's local running club, and I

don't know whether he is a participant as well as being a fan.

He knows so I think that is an even better sign. Perhaps in another year

he could join our honourable friends the members for Weaver Vale and

Crewe and Nantwich will be taking part in the London Marathon this

year and we wish them well. Can then lead tell us about the role and

locus of his office in the preparation and passage of the great

repeal Bill and given the bad office steered English votes for English

law is what assurance can he give is that the bill will not be the bill

for English votes over devolved competencies? My office will be

involved and I will be involved in the Cabinet committee reviewing that

legislation for introduction the way we review all legislation. I can

assure the honourable gentleman that the impact of the whole Brexit

process on devolved competencies is one of the key issues we are

considering. Many EU level competencies do cut across matters

that are devolved, the fishery is one such example that is still

reserved. That is why we willing continue to engage closely with the

devolved administration is to make sure we get the right outcome and

there is no question at any stage of taking away powers that have been

devolved under the three devolution acts. In February, 2014, 14 order

was brutally murdered by Amanda Guilmette via an online gaming

Klavan. That act by a man he met. Can we have a debate on how

stakeholders particularly internet companies deal with online grooming

and abuse to avoid tragic cases like this. I think the whole house will

have been shocked by this account and will want to express condolences

to his late constituents families. There are laws in place to enable us

to take action against online grooming as against other types of

grooming and abuse. Sometimes the difficulty is in assembling

sufficient evidence and I'm sure the police and the prosecuting

authorities are constantly reviewing the adequacy of current arrangements

and practices but I will certainly draw on this particular concern to

the attention of the Home Secretary. Mr Speaker, today is world kidney

Day. Can I ask the Leader of the House today two things. Want to join

me in commending all of those kidneys for groups like the one in

Porthcawl who raise funds for research and last week gave ?2000,

over ?2000, for psychological support to children with kidney

failure. But also can we remember that three people die every day

because of the lack of availability of transport, transplants. Can we

have a debate on the need to increase the availability of

transplants for people who otherwise would die. I cannot further debate

in government time at least in the short term. There may be other

opportunities, but I am happy to endorse and tribute -- that tribute

she pays to the Porthcawl group and other kidney support groups

throughout this country and emphasised as she did the importance

of ensuring that more transplants are available to people and that

donors are available to help people in need. Last week as chair of the

all-party group on Tanzania together with my honourable friend from

Ribble Valley, in Dar es Salaam we met Tanzania and business leaders.

One of the issues they raise was the length of time it takes them to get

a Visa to come on business trips to the United Kingdom. By contrast it

takes us two or three days to get a Visa from the Tanzania High

Commission in London. Can we have a debate on ensuring that this process

is speeded up for all those countries with which we are going to

do increasing business over the coming years as we come out of the

EU. It is important that when we are looking at these are policy we get

the balance right between getting -- visa policy, between giving

potential visitors the kind of Swift 's service my honourable friend Ward

said the same time as insurer would have an effective border control and

including that we have run the necessary background checks to guard

against the risk of terrorism and other organised crime. I will draw

his concerns to the attention of the Immigration Minister. On the

connected matter in preparation for fair trade fortnight I have had to

make representations to the Home Office to overturn arbitral

decisions refusing visas to Palestinians wishing to visit fair

trade organisations in my country. Organisations such as visa at the

Scottish fair trade for have all invited Palestinians to the UK for

fair trade fortnight. Unfortunately some of them have had visas refused

including representatives of Canon fair trade which I visited on the

West Bank pasture. Given that the government are eager to improve

British and Palestinian trade links can we have a debate how the Home

Office intransigence in dealing with visas is hampering fair trade with

Palestine. Bowen, Mr Speaker, want to see genuine business visitors

delayed or even having visa applications refused but as I said

in answer to my honourable friend there are checks that we expect the

immigration service to carry out to make sure that our immigration laws

are being properly observed and that we are protected against the real

risk of terrorism and potential visitors from an area where

terrorism is life by going to be subject to those checks. I do not

know what happened in those individual cases the honourable lady

describes. The political composition of my counsellors: 24%, 15 Labour,

nine Lib Dems and one BNP, the last BNP councillor in the country. That

means the coalition that run the council currently have to rely on

the support of that counsellor. Yesterday the local paper reported

on the shabby deal done between the local Lib Dems and Labour parties

and the BNP for securing support for their budget. Before coming have a

debate on racism and how the Labour Party and Liberal Democrats are

happy to turn a blind eye to it in order to cling onto their positions

and expenses? Mr Speaker, the one crumb of good news in what my

honourable friend said is there is now only one solitary BNP councillor

left in England. I would hope that all democratic political parties in

Pendle and all democratic political parties and national level would

unite to say that doing deals with the British National Party is

utterly repugnant and unacceptable, weather and local council level or

our else. A recent study by Time to change found almost a third of men

said they would feel embarrassed to seek help for mental health issue.

Last year they launched a campaign. Will the Leader of the House join me

in welcoming this campaign and can have a statement of debate about how

we can best improve men's attitude to mental health issues? I strongly

associate myself with what the honourable gentleman has said and he

is right to highlight the fact that men sometimes find it much more

difficult to be open about mental health problems than do women. I am

generalising but I think that generalisation is true and I'm

delighted with the work going on in his constituency to try and change

this. The Chancellor's announcement of ?100 million for new NHS triage

project is welcome. In north Northamptonshire there is a new

desire to see a new urgent care have opened fits perfectly with this

agenda and the Corby urgent care and is a beacon of best practice. Can we

have a state ministry, this announcement? -- statement next

week. I think my honourable friend had the opportunity to raise this as

this was a budget announcement. But we are looking at providing an

additional ?100 million to the NHS in 2017-18 for capital investment in

A departments to help manage pressure on A services and those

localities that are achieving some of the best results in terms of A

care are often those who manage to get GPs and minor injuries units

operating alongside A So I wish his health authorities in

Northamptonshire where they are trying to get access to this new

fund. This week the Brexit select committee unanimously suggested that

the Home Office rights to EU nationals who have established a

right to stay, and threatened to deport them. Can we have an urgent

statement from the Home Secretary saying she will act immediately to

when this odious treatment. The law is quite clear on this matter. We

are still a full member of the European Union. That means that all

rights deriving from the free movement directive still apply in

this country and will do so up until the date of exit. It is also

government's oft repeated objective to ensure that the earliest possible

stage of negotiations we have a reciprocal agreement that guarantees

the rights of EU citizens in this country and British citizens in the

other member states. Caen can we have a debate in government time

about the prospects of the 4.6 million people who are now

self-employed and also those working in the gig economy. We know they

have poor access to benefits and also they bounce along on very low

income is. Can we have an urgent winner in government time on this

matter. All self-employed people who are

earning less than ?16,250 will still see a cut in their total National

Insurance contributions. After the announcements that were made by the

Chancellor yesterday. I would have thought the honourable lady would

also have welcomed the fact that the new state pension will for the first

time give self-employed people the right to recruit state pension

rights that were denied to them previously. On every 16 my notes to

the Secretary of State for Defence information to ammunition

technicians serving in Northern Ireland assisting the PS and I with

bomb scares for example. The army wanted to award these trips GSMs in

recognition of their work. Can we have a statement from the government

on whether Armed Forces personnel will receive GSMs in relation to

assisting civil authorities in Northern Ireland. I'm sure the

honourable gentleman will note there are long-standing rules in place

that govern the award of medals. But I will ask the Secretary of State to

attend to his question at the earliest possible opportunity.

Patricia Gibson... JEERING AND BOOING

CHEERING Thank you, Mr Speaker. Workers at

the nuclear decommissioning industry faced a real threat to their

pensions despite cast-iron guarantees provided by Mrs Thatcher

following the privatisation of the nuclear state. This is of great

concern to work in my constituency. Can we have a debate to fully

discuss these concerns and the broken promises which have caused so

much distress and alarm to these workers across United Kingdom? What

I would suggest of the honourable lady is that this is something on

which you might wish to question the Secretary of State for business and

energy in the oral questions session next week. Caen following the

unfortunate comments made by the Chief Executive of the Scottish

events campus in which he appeared to defended ticket touts and said it

was just a bit of bad press. Can we have a debate on the secondary

ticket market was your constituents do not continue to be ripped off?

I think we are all well aware of how genuine fans of sport and music feel

when they are denied the rights of tickets to chosen events because of

the activities of touts. This is not something where passing a new act of

Parliament is necessarily going to reveal an answer of the type he

wants but it is something that the Minister for sport continues to keep

under review. Mr Speaker, how best can I advise colleagues to sop with

a long spoon when dealing with a company called the earlier? Perhaps

I could write to all colleagues setting out the earlier modus

operandi or, Mr Speaker, do you have an even better suggestion than that?

I think they don't and has found his own method, by raising a bogus point

of order and about the quest -- the company in question, about which I

must say I know nothing and I simply note on Python that the gentleman is

indefatigable and remorseless in pursuit of his chosen campaigns and

objectives. I am not sure there is but we will indulge the right

honourable gentleman. He can't be allowed to leave it like that having

whet our appetite. We need to know what his complaint is! We are going

to have the resumed budget debate in a moment. May very gently suggest,

in the hope that such a practice has not been altogether discontinued in

modern politics, that to honourable member, especially when one

honourable member and the other right honourable member are members

of the same party and Hugh are honestly joined by an insatiable

interest in this area, might partake of a cup of tea in the tea room with

each other in order courteously and doubtless burly to discuss this

important matter? Mr Speaker, things have -- times have changed if more

than one person is speaking to themselves, it is a conspiracy. Why

didn't I appreciate that. I should have done and I now do so. I will

leave it there for now. I am glad that colleagues are in such a good

mood. Or at least they are at 11:47am. The question is as on the

order paper. Mr John McDonnell. I do hope the good humour continues, but

we will see. I admire the honourable member bore his creativity at all

matters -- all times on raising matters. Mr Speaker, you and I have

been in the chamber for over 20 years, watching budget debates, and

as you most probably know, have referred in the past to the iron law

of budgets. It's this. That the louder the cheers for the Chancellor

on the budget day, the greater the disappointment three days later at

the weekend.